OCEANSIDE: Witnesses say they saw teen fight with slaying victim

A teenager charged with the murder of an ex-con who was stabbed in the heart was seen arguing with the victim at an Oceanside house party just before the teen rushed the victim, who then collapsed, according to testimony in a Vista courtroom Tuesday.

Jorge Alfonso Lopez, 17, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges and gang allegations in the March 4 killing of Samuel Quintana Zamudio, 25.

Lopez, who will turn 18 in July, faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

The two were strangers to each other before crossing paths at a gathering in the 200 block of Walsh Street in Oceanside, according to Oceanside police Detective Marilyn Johnson, who took the stand in a Vista courtroom Tuesday.

The detective was testifying in a preliminary hearing for Lopez, an important pretrial proceeding for a judge to determine if enough evidence exists to order the defendant to face trial.

Witness testimony did not finish Tuesday, so the hearing will likely wrap up Wednesday morning.

On the stand Tuesday morning, Johnson said witnesses told police the two men were among about two dozen guests at a relatively low-key house party in an Oceanside neighborhood with a history of gang activity.

As the festivities wrapped up, partygoers told police they heard Lopez and Zamudio arguing on the front lawn, and then several people saw Lopez strike Zamudio, according to testimony from Johnson as well as two teenage witnesses. Authorities said Zamudio was stabbed in the chest.

While there has been no evidence thus far that either men was an actual gang member, some of the evidence indicated each may have been associated with rival gangs. Johnson said witnesses heard one of the men mention Fallbrook, while other witnesses said they heard mention of the name of an Oceanside gang.

One of the teens who testified Tuesday said Lopez said he had attacked Zamudio because the victim had "disrespected" him.

After the stabbing, a friend of Zamudio's drove him to Tri-City Medical Center, where he died.

Johnson said police believe the stabbing occurred just after midnight, but the time is hard to pin down. No one at the party called 911.

Deputy medical examiner Steven Campman, who performed Zamudio's autopsy, said the knife pierced the victim's heart.

Zamudio had served a prison term for an attack that left the victim greatly injured, according to testimony. Details of that attack, including when and where it occurred and whether he was still on parole, were not immediately available.